Dear Narcissus Boy
by eena-angel2001
Summary: She will fight, claw, scratch, and now bite to be free of him . . . Response to the "What if Damon turned Caroline instead of Vicki?" question floating around LJ.
1. Jagged Pieces

**Title: Dear Narcissus Boy**

**Author: Eena_Angel2001**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: TVD belongs to Smith.**

**Spoilers: General S1 Spoilers, starting specifically with 'You're Undead to Me'.**

**Summary: She will fight, claw, scratch, and (now) bite to be free of him . . .**

**Warnings: Violence, Sexual situations (but nothing explicit)**

**Notes: Response to the "What if Damon turned Caroline instead of Vicki?" question floating around LJ.**

**Notes2: Title from Alanis Morisette's "Narcissus" from her album **_**Under Rug Swept**_**.**

_**Dear narcissus boy I know you've never really apologized for anything**_

_**I know you've never really taken responsibility  
I know you've never really listened to a woman**_

Chapter One: Jagged Pieces

** She thinks she remembers a time when she's the one that boys want and it's only ever a problem when Elena is around. There is no one else around who can compare to Caroline Forbes, and hell if every girl around didn't want to be her. She's Queen Bee material, even if she spends a lot of time competing with her best friend for the title. And though her race against Elena is one-sided (and she's still losing), at least she knows that the vast majority of people want to be her or be with her.**

** Things have changed this year, and maybe it's karma because although she felt bad for Elena when her parents died, a secret part of her was thrilled when Elena fell off the social scene. She **_**knows**_** it's terrible, she **_**knows**_** that makes her this self-obsessed, vapid airhead who only cares about popularity. But she can't help it because she's Caroline Forbes and popularity is important to her. In her more sour moments she thinks she deserves the popularity because Elena's got everyone's love and that only leaves notoriety for her (and it will be the positive kind of notoriety, thank you very much).**

** But this thing with Elena is always going to get her in the end because losing is no longer an option. She has to win at something, has to beat Elena in just one thing. She knows the captaincy of the squad has passed to her only because Elena is in no condition to keep being co-captain. She knows most of the girls flutter to her side because Elena has been so absent these past months. She's finally winning, but it's by default and that isn't good enough for her. She wants to beat her at something, and it's stupid because Elena really is a good friend and this obsessive need to best her is petty. Bonnie is of the same opinion, though she's too sweet to say it flat out.**

** And so Stefan comes rolling into town and Caroline thinks . . . well, take a look at him and guess what she thinks. It's criminal for a guy to be so blatantly hot that the sight of him actually makes her mouth water. And she wants him, not just because everyone else wants him, but because she just really **_**wants**_** him. But he doesn't want her; he doesn't want anyone but Elena. It stings more than it should (because they've been friends for years and she should be used to this, right?) and she tries her hand at dulling the pain with beer.**

** Bonnie holds her hand as she whines and tries to cheer her up by reminding Caroline of all the good things about her. But it doesn't work because Caroline feels pathetic, and it's appropriate because she's acting pathetic and all she really wants to do is go home and pretend like nothing happened (she's gotten good at that over the years). Bonnie disappears to get her some caffeinated fortification because if her mother sees her like this she will be in **_**so**_** much trouble.**

** That's the first time she sees him and she remembers it clearly even though she's drunk at the time. He's sitting a few tables over and he gives her this smile that makes her feel all tingly. It's just what she needs after Stefan's rejection and even in her drunken haze she notices that he's **_**obscenely**_** gorgeous and is obviously new to town because this kind of gorgeous is the kind that is chatted about in breathless whispers and semi-swoons. She's very tempted to go over to him right then and there but some scraps of dignity remain and she flirts from afar for five minutes before Bonnie returns.**

** She remembers that night obsessively. Everything from the clothes they both wore to the way he tilted his head ever so slightly-she remembers all of it. She has to, because the rest of their time together is blurred and disjointed and she wonders if she ever had a good time because she doesn't remember **_**ever**_** enjoying it. She supposes they broke up at the Founders' Ball, but that's only because Elena finds her passed out and pale-faced on the Lockwood's property with Damon nowhere in sight.**

** Days pass and she hears nothing from him. A small part of her is depressed that she doesn't rate a face-to-face brush off, but a larger part of her is relieved. It becomes easier to remember things after that night, but some of it is kind of scary so she avoids thinking about it to spare some of her sanity. Stefan is oddly interested in her for a day or two, asking her how she's feeling and whether his brother has called her. Something about the way he asks annoys her and she tells him repeatedly that she is**_** fine**_**, and that he needs to stop asking.**

** But she is not fine and maybe that's why, even after he stops asking her to her face, Stefan watches her closely to make sure. She feels like throwing a tantrum, stomping her feet and demanding that he just stop it already. It won't make anything better, but she's tired of feeling like she's under a microscope. So she puts on a show and throws herself back into things like nothing remotely traumatic happened (and it really can't be that traumatic if she doesn't remember it, right?). She holds court over the car wash fundraiser, reasserting herself as Queen Bee and ordering everyone about. Her friends smile in fondly exasperated tolerance and Stefan only arches an eyebrow at her. Her chin juts out, her head stays up, and Caroline damn near convinces everyone that everything has gone back to normal.**

** But he holds sway over her even now. When she hears his voice calling to her, she's worried that maybe she's gone crazy because he wasn't around and she's hallucinating him in the middle of that dark hallway. He calls her, begs her to come to him, and she wants to say that she doesn't know where he is and that she wouldn't come even if she did. But she can't say it because he's not really there and she's already on her way to him.**

** She's seen the Salvatore house before, but she's never been inside. But she knows exactly which window is open and which hallway leads to the basement. The basement itself reminds her of something out of a horror movie and her instincts scream at her to **_**not**_** go down those stairs. But her legs aren't listening and she goes down into the basement whilst knowing it's the stupidest thing she's done to date.**

** The Salvatore's have a weird prison cell thing in their basement and she's really not surprised at this point. She can hear Damon calling to her from inside the cell and against her better judgement, she steps up the door. She leans into the barred window and searches the room until she finds him. He looks bad, like he's been sick. He starts saying things to her and she can't really concentrate because the mere sight of him has made some of those disjointed memories line up for a brief second.**

** "You bit me," she accuses, breaking into his pleas for emancipation. He stops and seems aggravated that she's brought this topic up. She watches as he drags himself closer to the window, noting that he's in a lot of pain and even paler than he usually is.**

** "You liked it, remember?" He says this in a raspy sort of voice. And as soon as he says it, the memories break apart and she can't bring them back together. The indignation she has summoned for her earlier accusation floats away with her recollection.**

** "Why do I keep remembering the same things . . . but in different ways?"**

** He is obviously irritated with her now, but explains anyway. "You remember what I want you to remember. And now that the vervain has passed out of your system, you won't remember what you're about to do."**

** She **_**really**_** wants to know what vervain is, but the deadly promise in his last words make it impossible for her to ask anything other than: "What am I about to do?"**

** "You're gonna open the door," he tells her in a gentle voice that quickly gives way to deathly rage. "You're gonna open the door!"**

** Caroline is terrified; the door is the only thing between her and a furious Damon. The last thing she wants to do is open that door. But she can't help herself. There's nothing she can do to refuse, so her hands fall to the latch and she's undoing it all the while wishing she was anywhere but here.**

** "NO!"**

** The shout comes from somewhere behind, and it comes too late. She's knocked out of the way even while Damon is pushing against the door. Someone screams at her to "RUN!" and there is nothing but grunts, growls, and shouts in that basement, so she listens. She's barely to the stairs when she hears the cell door smash open, doesn't want to contemplate the loud crunching noise from behind her. She **_**needs**_** to get out of here; she needs to be far away from Damon.**

** She scrambles up the stairs in barely contained panic. Damon is behind her, thundering up the stairs after her. She hears him growling, feels him swiping at her ankles, and when he gets a hold of her, she screams in pure, unadulterated fear. She uses her free leg to kick at him repeatedly until he lets go and then continues her race up the stairs. She can't rest, can't second guess herself. She knows she needs to be outside to be safe, because Damon has murder on his mind.**

** She explodes out of the stairwell, the front door in her sights. She runs as fast as she can, and she thinks (hopes, prays, **_**begs**_**) that she can get there in time. She's within arm's reach of the door when he tackles her from behind. Her heart falls to the bottom of her stomach as she goes tumbling to the floor. But the need to get away (to **_**survive**_**) is strong and she tries wriggling, kicking, scratching, bucking her way to freedom. But the second after his hands disappear from around her calves she feels him climb on top of her back. His weight forces her down and she screams as she tries to jostle him off. But he is too strong, too quick, and the pain comes quickly.**

** Before he said that she liked it when he bit her, but despite the holes in her memory she now knows he's lying. There's no way to enjoy this. The pain is **_**blinding**_** and his teeth are not gentle as they rip and tear into her throat. Her screams increase in frequency, but her strength is leaving her. The pull of blood from her veins burns her from the inside out and soon she feels herself starting to shut down. Her heart, that had been beating so vigorously before, was slowing down. She starts feeling cold, right down to the tips of her fingers, and the pain fades into the background as she loses her hold on reality.**

** It's only when her face smashes back down onto the floor does she realize that he's let her go. The weight of his body leaves her back and soon his hands are everywhere. She can't imagine what he wants now, when she's more than halfway to dead, and then she feels his hand disappear into her jacket pocket. He's pulling her cell phone out of her pocket as she's dying on his floor and if she had the strength, she would snidely suggest that he pick her wallet while he's at it.**

** But it seems he has everything he needs because she hears his footsteps leading away from her. The knowledge that he is some distance away from her gives her back some life. The need to get away comes back full force and she doesn't know why, but she knows that she has to get outside if she wants to survive. She can't make herself get up, half her body will not listen to the commands her brain issues. But her hands still work, the fingers still flex at her command, and the arms still had some strength. Slowly, sluggishly, pathetically-she reaches out with her right hand, fingers digging into the hard wooden floor as she tries to pull her body closer to the door. The effort is exhausting, but she can't give up-**_**won't**_** give up-because she is Caroline Forbes and she does not want to die here today.**

** She barely moves, but any forward movement reinforces her resolve. She barely has the ability to lift her head, but she does and forces her eyes to focus. Her vision is hazy, but she can make out the outline of the front door, just mere **_**inches**_** away from her fingers. She draws in a shaky breath, tries to force energy that she doesn't have back into her limbs and then crawls forward slowly. It seems like she's been at this for hours and she has little to show for it. But she won't give up, starts to feel hope for an escape as her fingers brush the bottom ledge of the door. **

** Two black shoes appear right next to her head before she can get a good grip on the door. The sob falls from her lips before she can stop it (because she knows who it is). The need to get away increases, even though she knows that it's beyond useless at this point.**

** "Well, well, well," his voice sounds faint and far away, even though he's right next to her. She tries to block it out, because she doesn't want to hear him, she just wants to be outside. But there's nothing she can do to shut him up, nothing she can do to stop him when he wedges a foot under her ribs and flips her over onto her back.**

** His face appears, hovering above her. She notes that he hasn't even wiped her blood from his lips and that any ounce of gorgeous is gone because there is nothing but **_**monster**_** in his face. He looks like the Devil as he grins down at her and she's disgusted because the blood is just so messy. It occurs to her that she must look just as bad and it's like adding insult to injury-he's killed her and ruined her outfit.**

** "Someone doesn't want to die," he continues on, not noticing (or probably not caring) that she's glaring venomously at him. She thinks this is an odd time to gloat and doesn't know what he will get from the experience. She just knows that she doesn't want to indulge him. She's barely conscious at this point, but her brain still screams for her body to get away from him. Her legs are the only limbs to respond and they try pitifully to kick her away to freedom.**

** Her actions seem to amuse him because she can make out the faint sounds of chuckling. It pisses her off, but she doesn't have enough left in her to her outrage. She thinks that this is it, that she's going to die, bleeding on Damon Salvatore's front hall while the jerk **_**laughs**_** at her. It's a pathetic end to a life that she isn't willing to let go of just yet, but Damon's taken that choice from her.**

** "You know, I never realized you had this kind of spunk," Damon has not tired of the sound of his own voice, but she doesn't want to listen anymore. She shuts her eyes and tries to turn her face away. But he reaches out suddenly and grabs her chin, forcing her face back towards his. "Don't be so stubborn, Caroline," he chides her. "I'm trying to express some appreciation for you. Isn't that what you've been angling for, all this time?"**

** She can't muster the strength to say it, but she glares at him with eyes that scream '**_**fuck off**_**!' He's amused by her defiance, actually laughs again (the jerk!) and then releases her chin. His hand goes to stroke her cheek gently, something akin to fondness flickering over his face for a brief second. It's gone quickly, and another calculating look enters his eyes.**

** "This stunning display of guts and fortitude deserves a reward," he tells her, wagging a finger in her face as her eyelids began to droop dangerously low. "Stay with me Caroline. It's in your best interests."**

** But Caroline hasn't the wherewithal to stay with anyone at this point. Death was slow in coming, and though she's fought him off so far, there's nothing to be done now. The sound of Damon's voice becomes even fainter and a frightening darkness starts to blanket all her senses. She barely feels it when Damon lifts her head and pries apart her teeth. She is fading quickly into the icy cold clutches of death, well past the point of caring what Damon's going to do to her now (but it better not be some sort of mutilation-she **_**hates**_** the idea of leaving a disfigured corpse behind her).**

** Caroline's settling down into the idea of dying and just sleeping for the rest of eternity when suddenly strength courses through her body with the painful scorch of a lightning strike. All too suddenly, she's back into awareness, back to life, and her mouth is full of some awful metallic liquid (she knows what it is, but thinking it might make her throw up).**

** Her eyelids snap open and she's looking up into Damon's face. He flashes her a predatory smirk and then pushes his wrist harder against her teeth. Her mind picks up on what is happening and she starts to gag. But he squeezes her neck painfully and orders her to "DRINK!" And she does, though her stomach is roiling in nauseous protest.**

** Finally, after what seems like an eternity, he pulls his wrist back and lets her go. Her head thumps back and she's expecting it to contact with the hard wood floor of the front hall. But instead the back of her head hits something incredibly soft and it takes her a few seconds of wild glancing about to realize he's moved her to a couch.**

** Damon is standing over her, looking entirely too proud with himself, and she's struggling to understand what happened. She's dying (he had bitten her again!) and then she's alive, and somehow Damon's saved her by feeding her his own blood. Her entire body feels like it's charged with barely contained energy and even though she has questions, all she wants to do is **_**run**_**.**

** Whatever he has done to save her has weakened him, because there's no other reason for why she's able to surprise him so thoroughly. She bolts from the couch without a word, shoving at him with all her strength and then racing for the front door again. And it's just like before, where she's inches away from freedom when suddenly Damon stops her.**

** She already knows he's not normal, but he reinforces her suspicions by appearing before the front door with inhuman speed. There's a smirk on his face, but his eyes are icy, blue orbs that promise pain. And he delivers. She tries to skid to a stop and change directions as soon as he appears in her pathway. But he steps forward and backhands her with such force that she's tossed against the far wall.**

** The pain is **_**shocking**_** and Caroline is gasping for air when suddenly he's got his hands in her hair and she's being yanked up to her feet. "That wasn't nice," he tells her quietly, fingers flexing and pulling painfully at her hair.**

** The fear is back and overwhelming in its intensity. She can't help the shrill shriek that erupts from her lips when he pushes her back against the wall. Her head snaps backwards, colliding with a picture frame. Glass shatters and she feels sharp pain as a shard rips open a wound in the back of her head. She's bleeding again, and her body's battered like never before. Damon let go of her hair when he shoved her backwards and now his hands are tightly gripping the sides of her face.**

** She's crying, bleeding, and slightly delirious. The room won't stop spinning. The only thing that remains still is Damon, but she is **_**loathed**_** to look at him. He seems to know what she's thinking, because his hands tighten around her face to the point where she gasping in pain. He smirks at her discomfort and keeps the pressure up for a few minutes before loosening his grip just a bit. She collapses in relief, her body kept upright only because of his hold on her face. She's exhausted, pained, and unable to stand it anymore.**

** "I **_**hate**_** you," she whispers to him, voice ragged but full of resolve.**

** He nods once and then smirks again. "It's a fine line," he tells her, moving closer until their faces are merely inches apart. "But that's okay. You're going to have a lot of time to flip-flop between the two."**

** Then his right hand moves to her chin and she **_**knows**_** what is coming. Her hands come up in a vain attempt to stop him, but he's too strong for her.**

** He snaps her neck, and Caroline dies.**

**A/N: I'm kind of flip-flopping myself-Caroline/Damon, Caroline/Stefan, or Caroline/non-Salvatore Vampire? What do you guys think?**


	2. Gifts

**Title: Dear Narcissus Boy**

**Author: Eena_Angel2001**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: TVD belongs to Smith.**

**Spoilers: General S1 Spoilers, starting specifically with 'You're Undead to Me'.**

**Summary: She will fight, claw, scratch, and (now) bite to be free of him . . .**

**Warnings: Violence, Sexual situations (but nothing explicit)**

**Notes: Response to the "What if Damon turned Caroline instead of Vicki?" question floating around LJ.**

**Notes2: Title from Alanis Morisette's "Narcissus" from her album **_**Under Rug Swept**_**.**

**~O~**

**~O~O~**

**~O~O~O~**

**Chapter Two: Gifts**

** Caroline Forbes has some spunk to her and Damon doesn't exactly hate it.**

** He's standing in his front hall, looking down at the girl who has served as accomplice and meal within a very short span of time. She's been laid out on the floor for the better part of twenty minutes and it's nothing short of a miracle that she's still alive. But not only alive, she's still trying to get away. Twenty minutes after he's drained her nearly dry, the little blonde is trying to crawl her way to the front door.**

** Now that was determination, and Damon's a man that appreciates determination. He's used to people blubbering their way into death, begging and pleading like he's got a speck of a conscience in him. And he's come to expect the same from Caroline. But he realizes his mistake as he watches her try to drag herself to freedom. He's gotten too used to the compelled-Caroline. He created that Caroline out of necessity, and it's just so much easier than trying to deal with a real girl with real emotions. And it works out perfectly because Caroline's perfected this blonde and slightly airheaded cheerleader persona long before he rolled into town and no one's even aware that he's pulling her strings.**

** But Caroline's not that brainless, and she's not a coward. As he watches her struggle on the floor, he's reminded of that morning after the first time he bit her. Before the compulsion, before he subdued her, Caroline was pretty collected, considering the situation. Instead of waking up and screaming at the sight of her own blood everywhere, she actually tries to get away from him. Quieter than he had given her credit for, she had slipped out of bed and was to the door without once succumbing to hysterics.**

** And then he sped up from behind, blocking her only escape route. He remembers that she only screamed once, and it was equal parts fear and surprise that made her scream. He remembers her backpedalling and again, when he expects her to start pleading for her life, Caroline surprises him again. She gets feisty, tries to knock him out by hitting him with her lamp (and she hits pretty hard). And though she's got nowhere to go, she still doesn't give up. She tries for the door, for the window, throwing things the entire time to knock him off his game. Even when he throws her back onto the bed, she's still fighting him. It was so spunky and futile-it was cute.**

** But spunky and futile is not what he's looking for, so he has to compel her. Then she's docile, unassuming, and so utterly like a zombie that he's **_**bored.**_** He imagines that he will kill her when he's done with her, and it doesn't bother him to think of it. It rarely bothers Damon to think about killing someone (he's not Stefan, for Christ's sake) and it doesn't bother Damon to kill Caroline. After the Founders' Ball she has served her purpose and he doesn't really need her anymore. **

** Stefan gets in the way, as he's wont to do. He spikes Caroline's blood with vervain and so Damon can't kill her when he wants to. But it turns out to be a good thing. His brother uses her to get him into that cell downstairs, and he uses her to get out of there. She's even provided much needed blood. It makes him feel almost grateful.**

** He tells her it's because she's earned a treat after all this, and it's funny because it's such a pitiful lie. But the truth is so much simpler. She's a good way to keep Stefan distracted and off Damon's back-and that she's a Forbes is just icing on the cake (fucking with the Founding Families comes second only to fucking with Stefan).**

** In any case, he's picking her up off the floor and moving her to the couch in no time. He fills her mouth with his blood, taking care not to give too much because he's only just fed himself and it wouldn't do for him to weaken too much after just making it out of the cell. She wakes up after two mouthfuls, eyes frantically finding his before she tries to close her mouth and spit out the blood. He's a bit annoyed that she would try to refuse such a precious gift and so he has to squeeze her neck a little to make her submit.**

** His amusement with Caroline's antics lasts right up until she shoves him into the coffee table and bolts for the door. He's starting to think the girl is ungrateful and maybe he's given her **_**too **_**much credit, because she isn't smart enough to realize that she's never getting out of here alive. As it is, he's feeling like his generosity isn't being as warmly accepted as it should, and really, he's got **_**plans**_** for the girl.**

** He's still not feeling back to his normal, awesome self and his little prick brother still has his ring, but Damon's got enough energy in him to beat her to the door. He admits that things get a little too rough right then, but he's low on blood (because he's given some to her-the ungrateful brat) and he's almost always low on patience, and he figures that Caroline should know better by now.**

** She's shouting, kicking, and scratching, and that is **_**enough**_**. He tosses her back against the wall, noting that she smashes one of the hallway pictures with the back of her head. The smell of blood fills the room once more and that certainly doesn't calm him down. He's got her face held tightly between his hands and she's still trying to get away. The anger comes fast and hot. Damon reflects that she's a stupid blonde cheerleader who doesn't realize how privileged she is because he's **_**never**_** done this for any of his victims before. He's giving away blood at a time when he needs more of it desperately and she can't see that she is still living because **_**he**_** wants it.**

** He starts to squeeze again and then finally, she gets it. Caroline stops fighting, stops screaming, stops **_**everything**_**-she's hanging from his hands like a limp rag doll. They've only been at this game for an hour at tops, but even to Damon it feels like it's been days. He always knows that he will break her-he decided so that first bout of distant flirting. And now he knows he's done it because she's done fighting, done resisting-and he didn't even have to compel her into submission.**

** "I hate you," she says to him, her voice cracked and pained, but full of oh-so-much-conviction. **

** It doesn't surprise him; he understands it better than anyone else. Whatever his love for Katherine, there have been tracks of time when he has **_**hated**_** her for leaving him like this. She disappears into a magically sealed tomb and he's left pining, and not to mention dealing with his whiny little brother. He loves Katherine he does, but he's not a complete idiot. She's a manipulative bitch with control issues-and while he **_**usually**_** enjoys that part of her personality, he sometimes questions her lack of dedication when compared to his devotion. He's the one that accepted her from the start, so why the hell is he sharing eternity with Stefan? He wants to call it faithlessness, but he knows better. Katherine's a greedy woman, and she wanted both not one. And if he wants any part of her, he has to accept that.**

** But hopefully the gratitude at having him free her whilst Stefan tried **_**repeatedly**_** to keep her there will swing things in his favour.**

** He would like to think that he's Caroline's Katherine, but that's a load of bullshit even he can't swallow. He understands that in this scenario he is the Katherine figure, but she's not the human Damon. She's the human Stefan, the one who's compelled and forced and led against her will. Whatever her public persona, Caroline's one of those girls that dreams of white picket fences and 2.3 adorable children. She's probably been planning her wedding back when she still thought boys had cooties. She's the ultimate cliche; the girl who wants to stand out but wants what commercial propaganda tells her she should want.**

**Stefan was the same damn way. He thought of courting and chaperoned walks in the park, all leading up to a visit to the chapel and a pack of howling brats soon after. He thought Katherine would give that to him, but she was always planning on taking it away. Damon's done the same for Caroline. And just like Katherine, he forced his prey to think she wanted it that way.**

**He sees the parallels and it kind of bothers him, because his ego would prefer devotion over coercion. But it doesn't bother him enough to stop, because in the end he's got a diabolical master plan and Caroline's the most useful pawn he's got.**

** "It's a fine line," he tells her, leaning in extra close and smirking at the stirrings of rage in her eyes. "But that's okay. You're going to have a lot of time to flip-flop between the two."**

** And then he snaps her neck and she falls to the floor, a lifeless sack of flesh and bones. He feels just a bit accomplished as he looks down at her, mind racing with endless possibilities. He's exhilarated by the kill, knowing that he's found the ultimate way to show Stefan what happens when the idiot decides to stick his nose where it doesn't belong. Damon thinks that his brilliance deserves a reward, and he's thinking something along the lines of sorority girls.**

** But in reality, he doesn't have the luxury. Brilliant or not, Stefan's still got his ring and Damon needs it back if he's going to continue. Caroline's the first step to doing just that, but he needs Stefan here in order for everything to work.**

** Timing is everything in diabolical master plans and Damon's got a knack for knowing when to do what. He scoops Caroline off the floor, noticing that she feels heavier in his arms than she would-a clear sign that he needs more blood. But he's got more than enough in him to carry the body up the stairs to Stefan's room. His mind is speeding along, coming up with contingencies and plan Bs and whatever else he might need to cover his ass. He's got Caroline's phone in his pocket, and that's good enough for phase one. But he thinks he might need a little bit of insurance, so he takes off her hoodie before placing her on Stefan's bed.**

** She's got the cutest (and skimpiest) pink bikini on and Damon's got a second to spare for admiration. Despite her flaws and annoying habits, Caroline's got a **_**killer**_** body, and yeah he's using puns because things are looking so much better now than they did in the morning.**

** He's so peppy that he takes the time to be theatrical (which he tries for all the time, regardless to the amount of pep). He arranges Stefan's pillows up against his headboard and then poses Caroline against them in a mockery of a relaxation. Her head keeps tilting, so he pushes it to the left, exposing the blood left behind by his attack. The skin's healed by the blood he's given her, but vampire blood is not **_**magic**_** and it usually takes a lot of Oxyclean for that much blood to come out of clothes. Her hoodie is covered in her blood and even her cute little bikini top hasn't gotten away. There are splotches of drying blood everywhere and Caroline's looking like an extra in a **_**Scream**_** movie. **

** He takes off her shoes, tossing them to different corners of the room. Her legs he leaves stretched out in front of her, but her arms he takes time to arrange them. He crosses them across her chest, a parody of the final resting pose. He steps back from the bed, pausing to admire his handiwork before checking on the sun. It's started setting, so that means it's time for Damon to prepare for his evening out. And he's got quite the night planned.**

** He pulls Caroline's phone out of his pocket, scrolling through her contacts list before he finds Elena's number. There's only one place his brother could be, and that's perfect because it gives him the opportunity to fuck with both their minds. He's calling the number soon enough, settling himself down in a chair that gave him a clear sight of Caroline.**

** "Caroline?" Elena's voice comes over the line, her tone a bit distracted.**

** "Not quite," Damon purrs into the phone, loving the little gasp Elena emits when he does. He hears his brother, probably right at his lady love's side, asking who was on the phone. "Well, don't keep him waiting," Damon continues to say. "He's your **_**boyfriend**_**. Tell him who's calling from Caroline's phone."**

** There's a ten-second hushed conversation, in which he hears his name at least three times. Stefan's on the line soon enough, his voice full of doom and reproach. "Where is she, Damon?"**

** "Who?" Damon smirks, enjoying the angry silence on the other end. "Oh, you mean Caroline. She's fine; I took care of it-and you're welcome. I know how much you hate cleaning up after me, so I took care of it this time."**

** Stefan lets out a deep breath and then: "You'll pay for it if-"**

** "If what, little brother?" Damon rolls his eyes and settles down further into his seat. "You'll pump me full of vervain and toss me in the family cell? Wait, you tried that already, and look at us now."**

** "What do you want, Damon?"**

** "Well, I'd say 'world peace', but we both know that I don't give two shits about world peace, so I'll be direct. I want my ring, and I want it now."**

** "Not happening."**

** Damon growls at his idiot brother. "You don't have a choice. You give me that ring, and I stop the carnage. And before you ask what I mean, because you always ask what I mean, I'll tell you this: I've left you two gifts today. One's in the cellar, and the other's in your bedroom. If I don't have my ring back by sunrise, you'll get more of the same."**

** He snaps the phone close and gets to his feet. As soon as Stefan's done brushing Elena off, he'll be speeding his way back home. Damon's got very little time to get going, but he's not too worried about a head start. Stefan's looking for Caroline and Zach, and he was going to find them. Those two discoveries should keep Saint Stefan busy for quite some time.**

** And Damon was going to make good use of that time.**

** He swoops down on Caroline's body, pressing a kiss to her cheek and offering her an over-the-top "see you later, honey!" He's not sure she can hear him, because the shift was different for everyone. He's kind of sad he might miss her wake-up call, and Stefan's face when he sees exactly what Damon has left for him. But Damon figures he's got an eternity of messing with these two to look forward to, and that's enough to get him half-skipping out the door.**

** He's only got a limited time frame, but he's fucking **_**hungry**_** so just about anyone would do. But that's not his only concern. He's not yet done teaching Stefan a lesson, so he's looking for something that will really stand out. Besides, he's got Caroline to think of and he feels that he should try to be responsible when it comes to her.**

** So when he comes across the group of junkie losers rolling around in the woods, Damon gets another flash of brilliance. It doesn't take a lot of energy to distract the addicts, pulling them away from the group one by one before just erupting on them in full animalistic fury. The first one to fall into his simple, yet clever, trap is a familiar face. He's not that surprised to find Vicki Donovan stumbling around the woods in a drugged fog, but he has to pause to listen to the rest of the group. Once he establishes that Elena's little brother isn't amongst those marked for death (because he's saving Elena and her family for when Katherine's out of the tomb-because Elena is someone Katherine is going to want to meet), he goes forth and ends lives.**

** After about half an hour of fun, the junkies are dead and Damon's kicking around the campsite, debating whether he should hide the bodies or leave them for the town to find. His phone rings and he sees that it's Stefan, so he ignores it. He's leaning towards burning the bodies when his attention is drawn away by the sounds of someone coughing weakly. A quick glance of the area shows that Vicki Donovan is still stubbornly clinging to life, despite the extreme blood loss and physical trauma.**

** "Seriously, what do they feed the girls in this town?" he mutters to himself as he saunters over to the fallen girl. Vicki's begging and pleading at his feet, and he's not interested the way he was with Caroline. Vicki Donovan is naturally pathetic and he doesn't think sparing her will prolong her life by that much anyway. The girl was two drug escalations away from an overdose and he honestly didn't see that ever changing.**

** But comparing Vicki to Caroline reminds him of his responsibility and a plan starts to form. Though he feels that sparing more than one life in the same night won't sit well with him later, he recognizes the potential here. "It is your lucky day," he tells Vicki as he pulls Caroline's bloodied hoodie and cell phone out. Damon steps away from Vicki, ripping and tearing at Caroline's jacket before tossing it into a pile of bushes just outside the makeshift campground. Caroline's phone is next; he flicks it open and then throws it against a nearby tree. It shatters and the pieces scatter about amongst the dead bodies.**

** Once he's satisfied with the scene, he wanders back over to Vicki. The girl is starting to fade and Damon shakes his head at her. He spares only a few drops of blood for her, because having her completely healed won't work with his plan. He gives her just enough to keep her alive, but not enough to get rid of the pain or all the wounds.**

** Sunrise isn't for a couple of hours, and Damon's looking forward to doing more things to motivate Stefan into coughing up his ring. He's got a few in mind and a quick glance at Vicki shows that she's ready also.**

** Damon grins down at the girl and then catches her gaze firmly with his own. His blue eyes blaze with power as he quietly, but firmly, tells Vicki when she is to call the police and what she's going to tell them.**

** Vicki can do nothing but agree.**

**~O~**

**~O~O~**

**~O~O~O~**


	3. Humanity

**Title: Dear Narcissus Boy**

**Author: Eena_Angel2001**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: TVD belongs to Smith.**

**Spoilers: General S1 Spoilers, starting specifically with 'You're Undead to Me'.**

**Summary: She will fight, claw, scratch, and (now) bite to be free of him . . .**

**Warnings: Violence, Sexual situations (but nothing explicit)**

**Notes: Response to the "What if Damon turned Caroline instead of Vicki?" question floating around LJ.**

**Notes2: Title from Alanis Morisette's "Narcissus" from her album **_**Under Rug Swept**_**.**

**~O~**

**~O~O~**

**~O~O~O~**

**Chapter Three: Humanity**

** He should have just killed him.**

** This is the one thought that circles Stefan's mind as he races back home from Elena's house. His girlfriend (and he uses that term lightly-things are not good right now and Elena's more than a little justified in her anger) had wanted to come along, but Stefan was forced to insist she stay at home. There was much said about Caroline being Elena's friend, but it matters little in the end. Stefan will not risk Elena with Damon on the loose. And he will not allow her to see the destruction Damon has surely left in his wake.**

** Stefan's used to blaming things on Damon, but his conscience is eating away with him at this point. Stefan is the one that brought Damon here; Stefan is the one who failed to stop him when he had the chance. There won't be another opportunity like the one of the Founders' Ball and Stefan feels as though he has wasted it. A stake to the heart would have been better than imprisonment-but Stefan hadn't the stomach for it. Damon is still his brother, and he isn't at the point where he could kill him.**

** His weakness might have gotten two innocent people killed.**

** Zach isn't answering his phone, and Stefan knows Damon has Caroline's, so there's no point in even trying that one. He tries his best to reassure Elena before he leaves her house, but there's nothing he can say to alleviate her concerns. He makes her promise to stay where she is and then runs home as quickly as he can.**

** The moment he enters the front hall, he knows it's bad. Stefan smells the blood, even though in the darkness of the hall he could not see it clearly. He reaches out and switches on the light, stomach churning to see the state of the hall.**

** Blood streaks, leading to and from the front door, are the first things that he sees. A closer look also reveals nail marks scratched across the wooden floor. There's more blood further down the hall, along with broken glass. A quick glance into the parlour room shows a bloodied couch and overturned coffee table.**

** He stops in front of the staircase, eyes looking up to the darkened second floor. He sees a speck of light coming from the back of the corridor and knows that it's his room. Damon said he left him a surprise there. But he also left one in the basement. Which one does Stefan go for first?**

** He's a chicken, and so he heads down to the basement. He knows his brother, had a hundred and fifty years to really know him. Damon never does anything without a reason. Leaving a surprise in the basement meant it was something Damon cared less about. But leaving one in Stefan's room, that's the one he wanted his little brother to pay attention to. That surprise would be the worst.**

** But he's wrong, yet again. There is no worst-both scenes are equally bad.**

** Damon's never put much stock in family. His animosity towards their father was well known throughout the town. Mother had died too young, and that left only Stefan. Stefan knows that he was the only family that Damon claimed, the only one Damon was happy to acknowledge. But then along came Katherine, and everything went to hell. Now Damon cares as little for family as he does for conscience. It's all Katherine, all the time.**

** Damon probably didn't even pause one second before snapping Zach's neck.**

** Stefan collapses on the bottom of the stairs, eyes wide and uncomprehending as they stare at Zach's corpse. Zach had taken him in despite his misgivings, despite knowing that Damon would soon follow after. It didn't matter that Stefan promised it would be different this time; they both knew it would always be the same. Damon is Stefan's own personal cross to bear, and he has an eternity of it. Damon promised him as much.**

** But now Zach is dead and Stefan is left alone against his brother once more. He feels guilt stirring inside him, battling with the rage for dominance. He can't look at the body and think that it's Zach. Zach is quiet, studious, and observant-he's too smart to have fallen to Damon so quickly. Zach grew up with stories and a handful of scary meetings with Damon. Stefan still remembers the curious nine-year-old boy who nearly knocked him on his butt when he asked to see Stefan's fangs. Stefan had been too stunned to agree, so Damon obliged the child. Zach had widened his eyes and then nodded, asking why black veins appeared on their face instead of showing an ounce of fear. Damon had laughed, declared the kid to have 'balls', and then threatened to eat Zach if the questions kept coming. It was Zach's first death threat, and even then he hadn't been that affected. Zach, like Stefan, had never quite believed that Damon would do anything to the young boy. Underneath it all, Zach was family, and Damon only really had a beef with his brother, so the great-nephew should get off scot-free, right?**

** Wrong.**

** There are more cousins, nephews, and nieces around the world. Their family isn't large, but it doesn't stop in Mystic Falls. But Stefan knew Zach, watched him grow up, enjoyed his company. And now he's dead, because of something Stefan failed to do.**

** He should have killed Damon.**

** He's not sure how long he sat there, staring at Zach's body, but it was a while. His phone vibrating in his pocket draws his attention away from the sight. He glances at the screen, sees Elena's name flashing on his screen. He can't talk to Elena right now, can't offer her anything of substance. He still hasn't found Caroline, but he doubts it will get any better than this. Stefan hits the ignore button and prays Elena keeps her promise and stays at home. Damon's invited, but he's not going there tonight. Tonight Damon still needs his ring back, so Elena's in the clear. **

** But everyone else in the town is fair game.**

** The idea of leaving Zach there is nauseating, but Stefan can't put off finding Caroline any further. It's entirely likely that he's going to be digging two unmarked graves tonight, but he has to make sure. It's not the first time Damon's surprised him, but it won't be the last.**

** His brother's depravity never fails to stun.**

** He climbs the stairs in trepidation, moving across the front hall and towards the second story. He smells blood as he goes, sees droplets of it here and there. And it's fresh enough to make his stomach rumble. His fangs threaten to pierce his lips, the desire for human blood so strong that Stefan takes a moment before continuing. His control has increased over the decades, but being amongst so much of it tempts him. He forces himself to remember Caroline, to think of her as he had seen her that very afternoon. Happy, teasing, bubbly-alive. All this blood serves to remind him that a very young life has most likely been cut short-and that's enough to kill the thirst for the time being.**

** He approaches the door to his door cautiously, noting that Damon has left it slightly ajar. Damon's turned on every light in the room, gleefully shedding light on his latest atrocity. Stefan steels himself and then pushes into the room.**

** His eyes fall immediately to the bed, and the still body there. Stefan closes his eyes. He had known it, on some level, but it still didn't make it any easier to see. Caroline Forbes is laid out on his bed, covered in blood, and not breathing.**

** "Damn it, Damon," Stefan sputters, anger overriding the guilt for a brief moment. Stefan glances at the body in despair, not sure of what he should do. Caroline and Zach deserve more than what he's planning to do with their corpses, but the fact that there are two presents a bigger problem. Zach's disappearance might be easily explained away (the Salvatores were notorious for their nomadic ways, even the not-so-dead ones), but Caroline can't be swept under the rug. She's a Forbes, a Founding Family member, and the daughter of the town's Sherriff. Elizabeth Forbes would not take the disappearance of her own daughter lightly.**

** How was he going to explain this to Elena?**

** "Damn it!" Stefan roars as he gives into the anger. He lashes out at a nearby lamp, barely noticing when it smashed to pieces on the floor. He forces himself to stand still, fists clenching and unclenching as he tried to get his emotions back under control. It is all too much; he has gone too far this time. Stefan spares the corpse on his bed another glance before taking out his phone.**

** It rings a few times before his brother deigns to pick up. "I want my ring," Damon says in lieu of a greeting.**

** Stefan stifles the urge to scream at his brother, sinking down into his desk chair and turning away from the sight on his bed. "Where are you?"**

** "I'm at the Sizzler. I had the buffet," Damon ends this with a light chuckle. His brother is obviously proud of himself. "How'd you like my gifts?"**

** "It's too much this time, Damon."**

** "You say that all the time," Stefan can imagine his brother rolling his eyes. "Fine, you didn't like my presents. If you want to avoid more of the same, you know what you have to do. Where's my ring?"**

** Stefan's not feeling up to cooperating just yet. "I gave it to Zach to hide," he tells his brother, ignoring the pain at having to use his nephew's name. "Probably shouldn't have killed him."**

** There's a brief silence on the other end. "Oh, you almost got me," Damon laughs, his voice switching to deadly serious in the next second. "Where is it?"**

** "I'll get it back, but I need time."**

** "What'd you Fed Ex it to Rome?" Damon growls impatiently. "Where is it? I want my ring, Stefan, or I'm going to have to find new gifts for you. Like the one in your room? I bet Elena's going to love it."**

** His girlfriend's name raises his ire once again. "I already want you dead, Damon," Stefan practically spits the name out. "Don't give me another reason to make it happen."**

** "Don't give me another reason to rip you apart."**

** Stefan snorts at his brother's threat. "Yeah? Is that before or after you get your ring back?"**

** "Just get it!"**

** "I need time," Stefan repeats. "And since you've left me with so much cleaning up to do . . ."**

** "I told you that I took care of most of it," Damon replies defensively.**

** "Oh yeah? Did you get a good look at the front hall before you left? Not to mention, finding a remote location to dig two graves is going to take some time."**

** Once again Damon is silent. And again, he breaks his silence with laughter. "Damn! You didn't get a good look at my gift, did you?"**

** "What does that mean?"**

** "Silly little vampire brother," Damon tsk-tsks him. "It's not fun unless you figure it out for yourself. Just have another gander at the gift on your bed. It'll come to you, eventually. And then, after you brood and your forehead expands another fifteen inches, you'll understand I mean business and then **_**go get my ring**_**!"**

** Damon disconnects without further fanfare and Stefan's left staring down at his phone in confusion. His eyes slide over to the left, to where Caroline lays deathly still on his bed. Damon said to take a closer look and another wave of dread hits him. Stefan leaves his seat and slowly makes his way over to the bed. He stands, looming over the body of Caroline Forbes. He takes in the ruined hair, the tear-stained face, the bloodied neck, and . . . **

** Stefan stops still, eyes narrowing in on the neck. He gets close, the scent of blood filling his nostrils. He forces back the thirst, fingers going to feel her throat though he already knew the truth. His fingers brushed against a mix of drying and congealing blood, moving up and down the length of her neck, searching for the bite marks that should have been there.**

** They weren't.**

** Stefan takes a deep breath, trying not to panic. He wrapped his hand around her neck, feeling for any wound that would explain the blood. He finds none, but discovers her neck has been snapped. Or rather, had been snapped. Only half the bones are out of place and that doesn't make him feel any better. Snapping necks is one of Damon's favourite ways of killing, and that's exactly what he's done to Zach. Damon's very skilled at killing, likes that he can effectively snap all the bones in the human neck with little effort. It's not possible that he would leave the job half done.**

** Stefan glances down at Caroline's face, noting how pale it is. His eyes drop to her chest and he reaffirms that it's not moving. She's not breathing, she has no pulse, her neck is only half-broken, and there are no bite marks on her neck.**

** Stefan curses and rears back from the bed, hands fisting in his hair tightly. He stumbles away from Caroline, falling into his desk chair again. His mind is racing but he can't think of a single action to take.**

** He should have just killed him.**

**~O~O~O~**

** It's nearly dawn when she starts to stir.**

** Damon has been home for about an hour and he attempted to sit in with Stefan. Stefan is so angered by his brother's presence that they spend the next fifteen minutes throwing each other around the house. It's a miracle that the noise doesn't wake Caroline up, but Damon rolls his eyes and says she's always been a heavy sleeper. This reminder drives Stefan even deeper into a rage and after nearly demolishing every inch of the first floor, Damon relents. It's not because Stefan is stronger or faster, but because Damon doesn't want to damage his brother too much before he gets his ring back. Damon retreats to his room as if nothing has changed and Stefan can barely restrain himself from going after him again.**

** Elena has been calling throughout the night. Stefan finally texts her back after midnight and promises to explain things later on, but he hasn't the time right now. She texts back that she just wants to know if Caroline is all right. He sends back a text with one simple word: 'no'.**

** Elena stops calling after that.**

** He keeps a vigil at her side, dragging his desk chair next to the bed. He broods much of the night away, elbows on knees, hands joined prayer-like, and lips pressed against the sides of his fingers. His eyes stay fixed on Caroline's pale face, but his mind wanders. He thinks of Zach in the basement, Elena alone at home, and Damon's ring. He thinks of everything other than what he's going to say to Caroline when she wakes, of how he is going to explain everything that has happened to her. He knows the transition period is difficult and short-too short a time to make such a monumental decision.**

** But he can't even think of encouraging Caroline to make the complete transition. He remembers when it was his turn to make the decision, and events got beyond his control. He regrets that night more than any night of his long life. He's seen what the promise of eternal life actually amounts to, and he doesn't want Caroline to go through that. He wouldn't want anyone to go through that.**

** But that's difficult to explain to a scared young girl looking at the end of her life. How do you tell a person that it's better to die than to live forever?**

** The sun is on the rise. He can feel it coming and it reminds of him of Damon's ring. It also reminds him that Zach's body is still in the basement, and Stefan feels exhausted just thinking of the things he has to do today.**

** She moves her neck, just slightly, and that's all the warning he needs. He gets up and takes a seat next to her on the bed. He watches silently as Caroline fidgets, little by little, a frown on her face. She keeps moving her neck, uncomfortable as the bones in her neck begin clicking back into place. Once her neck is healed completely, she stretches out her bodies, arching much like a cat. He hears a few faint cracks and pops as her body realigns itself. Once done, she relaxes back, even turning onto her side and burrowing her head deeper into his pillows. He listens to her body, noting that her heart is still not beating and her lungs aren't taking in air. She lets out a sigh and then frowns again, as if noticing the same things he is. A hand slowly makes it way to her chest, resting lightly there and for one second, Caroline is completely at peace.**

** But she's starting to feel the wrongness of her own body, realizing that she doesn't need to breathe, that her skin's starting to become cooler than the sheets under her, and that she's no longer tired. It takes another minute and then her eyes are fluttering open. She's confused by the unfamiliar surroundings, her brain slowly bringing her up to speed. He knows the exact moment that the memories return. She exhales sharply, her body goes still, and her right hand grasps tightly at the bed sheets.**

** Caroline jolts back to reality and she emits a frightened yelp as she shoots up into a sitting position. Stefan has to reach for her shoulders, squeezing them tight as she begins to shriek and thrash wildly. He has to shout "Caroline, it's me, Stefan!" at least three times before she starts to calm. She stops trying to throw him off, swallows her last screams, and turns to stare at him with wide blue eyes. The panic is plain to see and she's so scared that she's **_**shaking**_** and Stefan has to stifle the urge to go stake his brother right then and there.**

** "St-Stefan?" her voice is low, his name a whispered plea on her lips. She's gazing at him in barely contained terror, tears threatening to spill over as she tried to make sure she isn't still dreaming. Her hands go up and clutch at the arms holding her shoulders, fingers flexing as if she's testing his solidity. **

** He nods silently, loosening his hold on her. She keeps her hands on his arms, teeth gnawing at her lip as she rocked ever so slightly on the bed. She looks indecisive and tries to give him a smile, but fails. Her lower lip trembles and then the tears spill over. She lets go of his arms and bends over, hands covering her eyes. Stefan feels useless, one hand resting awkwardly on her shaking back. He starts mumbling nonsensical sounds of comfort and she just cries harder.**

** "You suck at this, little brother."**

** Damon's voice shatters whatever peace the room possesses. Caroline jerks upright and stares at his brother, leaning on one side of the doorway and smirking for all he's worth. "Sleep well, sweetie?"**

** Stefan scowls and goes to confront his brother, but Caroline has other plans. She dives for Stefan the instant he moves, throwing her arms around his neck and crying hysterically. Through the flood of tears and jumble of words, he hears her pleas to not leave her, to save her from **_**him**_**. Stefan wraps his arms around her as he glares at his brother. Damon rolls his eyes at the two of them, sauntering into the room with a sour look on his face.**

** "I don't think she understands exactly how lucky she is," Damon says unhappily. "She could just as easily have been one those losers I left in the woods. But I saved her; heck, I gave her new life. But is she grateful? No, she'd rather throw herself at my useless little brother than give me the thanks I deserve."**

** "I want to go," Caroline starts sputtering in his ear. "Stefan, I want to go home. I want my mom. Please take me home. Please Stefan, please!"**

** "You can't go home," Damon interjects before Stefan can speak. "You can't ever go home, or anywhere else in this town."**

** Caroline stiffens and presses even closer to Stefan. "Stop it, Damon," Stefan growls, trying to shift around the girl in his arms so he could see his brother properly.**

** "Well, it's true," Damon snorts. "I spent a good part of last night covering my tracks, so she can't just go home and wreck everything. Besides, she leaves and she's dead before midnight."**

** "What?" Caroline is shaking and leaning back to look at Stefan's face. "What does he mean? Stefan?"**

** "Yeah, Saint Stefan, what do I mean?" Damon teases, the grin on his face showing exactly how much he was enjoying this. Stefan just glares at him silently while Caroline pulls back a bit and starts feeling her neck.**

** "He bit me," she whispers faintly. "He bit me and I was so tired. Then I woke up, and he was making me drink . . . Oh God, oh Stefan, oh-he hurt me, he-he snapped my neck . . . Oh God! What's happening to me?"**

** Her voice goes higher on her last question and Stefan is trying to calm her down again, but Damon's enjoying himself too much to let it go.**

** "Oh come Caroline, you're not that blonde. Say it with me now, you know you want to."**

** Stefan's had enough. He springs to his feet and shoves his brother hard. "Damon! Get out!"**

** Damon skitters back a few feet before colliding with the wall. He straightens up and dusts off his jacket slowly. "God, would you take your Midol already? I'm leaving anyway. Got to catch the early morning news. You two should join me. I have a feeling it's going to be a very newsworthy day."**

** And then he's gone. Stefan soon hears the sounds of the television coming on in the parlour room. He lets out a shaky breath, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. Damon is exhausting on a good day, but today it just isn't tolerable. He turns around and looks at Caroline, pale-faced and shaking on his bed. She looks at him with the same terrified look she had when she woke the first time. One trembling hand is running over her neck, her breaths shortening as she failed to find the wounds she remembers receiving last night. Abruptly, she drops her hand and scrambles up to the headboard, quickly grabbing a pillow and clutching it to her chest. She eyes him, standing in front of the door Damon just disappeared from, and he sees that she's on the verge of crying yet again.**

** She opens her mouth, snapping it shut quickly and then shaking her head. She gives him another look, a wary glance this time, before she finally speaks. A hesitant "Vampire?" escapes her as her eyes beg him to refute her discovery. Stefan sighs and then nods.**

** Caroline's breath hitches once again, and then she buries her face in the pillow.**

**~O~**

**~O~O~**

**~O~O~O~**

**A/N: A lot of people are suggesting Lee, and I have to admit, I like the idea of it. There's definitely going to be some Caroline/Damon and Caroline/Stefan in this story, but I'm thinking for the overall pairing, Caroline/Lee is pretty interesting.**


	4. Final Hour

**Title: Dear Narcissus Boy**

**Author: Eena_Angel2001**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: TVD belongs to Smith.**

**Spoilers: General S1 Spoilers, starting specifically with 'You're Undead to Me'.**

**Summary: She will fight, claw, scratch, and (now) bite to be free of him . . .**

**Warnings: Violence, Sexual situations (but nothing explicit)**

**Notes: Response to the "What if Damon turned Caroline instead of Vicki?" question floating around LJ.**

**Notes2: Title from Alanis Morisette's "Narcissus" from her album **_**Under Rug Swept**_**.**

**~O~**

**~O~O~**

**~O~O~O~**

**Chapter Four: Final Hour**

The low hum of the fluorescent lights is broken up only by the occasional _drip-drip_ of water hitting the tiled floor. It's an odd sort of quiet, one that seems artificial. It's hard to believe that she's really here, and she knows what the problem is. She hears the hum of the lights, the drip of the water, but she doesn't hear herself breathing.

She's not breathing.

It's a nice bathroom, all dark wood and granite top. The sink is bone-white with an ornate dark gold faucet that is all curved and embellished with carvings. The mirror is one of those old-fashioned oval ones, framed in that same dark gold as the faucet. It doesn't have a shower, only a large bathtub that matches the sink. The only out-of-place object would have to be the lights. The bathroom was too nice to have the same fluorescent tube lights they used at the school.

She hates fluorescent lights. It's hard to look good under them, especially when you're already fair-haired and fair-skinned. And now, it's worse. Her skin is whiter than before, a paleness that is not flattering in the least. She looks ill, or maybe like an albino. She's not sure which is worse. She doesn't want to sound snobby, but the only albino she's ever seen is that crazy-monk-killer in the _Da Vinci Code_ (Bonnie made her watch it) and he was, well you know, crazy.

Usually she can make this lighting work for her. She's spent the last three years playing with makeup and colours to make herself presentable under those lights. The key is in keeping the blush light and to play up the natural colour in her cheeks. Colour that comes from the blood under the surface.

Caroline leans closer to the mirror and stares at her cheeks. They're pale and colourless. She tries pinching them, slapping them, huffing and puffing rapidly-but nothing will bring the colour back.

She supposes that it never will come back.

Caroline steps away from the mirror, feet splashing in the puddle of water she has left on the floor. Stefan suggested she clean herself up and she has just spent about an hour doing that. Now she's just standing there, dripping water onto the floor, staring at her reflection. The changes are subtle, but she sees them. The lack of colour in her cheeks, the absence of the rise and fall of her chest, the chill of her skin-all the trappings of a walking corpse.

She starts rummaging through the drawers, soon finding a comb. She runs it through her damp hair, de-tangling all the knots. Done, she replaces the comb and looks uncertainly at the robe Stefan has left for her. He sent her in here without anything to change into, though he promised he would find something. She could hear him, pacing the floor of his room just beyond the door. She wonders if he's gone and done just that. Certainly, she's been in here for a while and he's fast enough to have come and gone at least five times. Caroline isn't sure why he bothered to offer in the first place. Stefan seems pretty sure that she wouldn't (or rather, that she shouldn't choose to) live out the night. He gave her a whole bunch of reasons, but all she understood was that he thought she should die.

Maybe she should. The alternative isn't that appealing. Yeah, there's the whole living forever thing, but it isn't free. No more sunlight, no more friends or family, no more cheerleading, no more college, no more future-none of the stuff she had been dreaming of for years. No wedding, no awesome husband, no adorable blonde toddlers, no amazing career-nothing. It's all gone. There's nothing left but blood, eternity, and . . . Damon.

She shudders, just thinking his name. The fear is back, but it's barely covering the anger. The outrage has been building since her enlightening conversation with Stefan and above all things, she wants to know _just who he thinks he is_! Her life was never his business, but he's gone and taken it all the same.

There's knocking on the door. "Caroline?" Stefan calls from the other side. "You okay?"

No Stefan; she is most certainly not okay. She's standing naked in Stefan Salvatore's bathroom and she can't even enjoy the idea of it because she's dead. Another flare of red-hot rage shoots through her belly before the shock comes back and squashes it.

What good would it do anyway?

She grabs the too-big robe and pulls it on. She walks to the door, where Stefan's still knocking lightly, taking a moment to kick at her ruined bikini. She never wants to see the pink thing again. Of course, she just might get her wish.

She opens the door and Stefan stops knocking immediately. By the time she gets the door fully open, he's already on the other side of the room, standing in front of his bed. She can see some white bags on the floor and he's looking nervously at something that she assumes is for her. Caroline clutches the robe close to her body, out of anxiety rather than the cold. She hasn't felt cold since she woke up.

"I didn't know . . . I just guessed for most of it," Stefan mumbles as she approaches. He's really uncomfortable and a glance at the bed reveals why. She feels her lips quirk up in the beginnings of a smile. The image of Stefan wandering the underwear aisle in the women's section is too funny for words.

He catches her smile and gives an embarrassed chuckle. "I just went for comfort," he says, showing her the track pants and plain white t-shirt he got her. "Also, the cap and the glasses are for you. You're going to need to cover your hair when we go."

Of course she has to. Damon's done such a fine job of covering his tracks that the whole town is out in the woods looking for her. She thinks back to the flashes of the morning news, seeing Logan Fell looking pale and distressed while telling the citizens of Mystic Falls about her disappearance. There's mention of a wild animal attack and a 'group of unfortunate souls' who fell victim to the creature. There's no mention of the fact that she's Caroline Forbes, so what the hell would she be doing out in the woods with a bunch of druggie losers? Damon laughed at her when she asked this, going on about how he's a genius and Vicki Donovan finally proved to be good for something. She doesn't care to find out what he means exactly. The sound of his laughter is enough to remind her of the night before and how he laughed while she was bleeding out on the floor.

That's the point when Stefan drags her back upstairs and suggests she clean up. He talks about having to take care of a few things, but she refuses to be left alone with Damon for any amount of time. So he agrees to take her along and pushes her towards the bathroom to clean up.

She runs her hands over the clothes, hating how dull and drab they are while knowing that she has bigger problems. And it's not Stefan's fault that the clothes are dull and boring. He's shopping for her with discretion on his mind, not the high label standards of Caroline Forbes. It's beyond stupid to care so much about the cheap clothes, but she feels tears gathering in the corners of her eyes nonetheless.

"Caroline?" Stefan sounds worried. He puts a hand on her shoulder and she does her best not to flinch. She turns her head away, not wanting him to see her crying over something so trivial.

"I'm okay," she assures him, blindly gathering the clothes into her arms. "I'll just go change."

She escapes to the bathroom with further interruption. She shuts the door behind her, knows that it offers only the flimsiest barrier between her and Stefan. But it's solid and hard enough to give her a sense of privacy. She sinks to the floor, bringing her knees up to her chest. She rests her forehead on her knees and lets herself cry once again.

Five minutes later, she wipes her cheeks and gets dressed.

~O~O~O~

The town's organizing a search for her and it kind of makes her feel good to hear so many people are volunteering to look for her. Stefan's worried about putting in an appearance, but she agrees that he has to. Her mother's on the warpath, and she'll notice any suspicious absences. The boyfriend of one of Caroline's best friend failing to show up for the search would definitely qualify.

He drives her to a secluded part of the woods and asks her to hide. He promises to return within the hour, and she nods. In all honesty, she's happy to be there by herself for a short while. Damon can't follow them out here because of his ring (she still doesn't understand how a ring protects him from the sun, but Stefan says it's magic and tells her not to worry about it). Stefan's been doing his best, but she's tired of him by now. He can't help but remind her of Damon, and of everything that's coming. She just wants some time to sit alone and contemplate what might be the last day of her life.

A part of her wants to run home anyway, to show her mother what Damon has done to her. She can envision her mother leading the torch-bearing mob down to the Salvatore Boarding house. But that image also gives her pause. She isn't sure how her mother will react to seeing her daughter as a walking dead girl. What if she's disgusted, or scared?

She knows she's a coward, but she can't stand the thought that her mother would look at her like that. If she's going to die today, she prefers to go with the image of her mother caring about her rather than being afraid of her. It's entirely selfish, but she can't change how she feels.

Stefan returns shortly, softly calling her name. She leaves her hiding spot (crouching behind some bushes) and goes to meet him. Stefan smiles in relief to see her, but she can't process his smile because he's got company.

Elena looks a mess. Her eyes are bloodshot and there are dark circles under her eyes. Her nose is red and shiny, as are her cheeks. She looks like she hasn't slept in days and just spent a good hour or so crying her heart out. Caroline's throat wells up at the sight of her friend, her legs threatening to collapse underneath her. Elena gives a heart-wrenching sob and flies at Caroline. Soon the two girls are kneeling on the ground, arms locked tightly around each other, tears flowing steadily.

Stefan steps back to give them a moment. Caroline can barely keep up with events, clutching Elena tightly to herself knowing that this might be their last meeting. The passing of time suddenly seems like it's too fast, because less than a day to make this kind of decision isn't _enough_. Caroline buries her head into Elena's shoulder and tries to stop her tears, tries to force time to stop through sheer will. Maybe if she stays here, with Elena like this, the day will stop along with her.

When it happens, she's too slow to pick up on it. She remembers hugging Elena, resting her head on the other girl's shoulder. She remembers pulling Elena closer and closer because she's just so _scared_ at that time. But then she goes from sobbing on Elena's shoulder to sniffing at her neck in an instant. She breathes in deep, tears stopping as she considers how nice her friend smells. The ache starts in her belly, a slow throb that suddenly explodes and Caroline is _starving_!

Elena changes in one second from friend to meal and Caroline screams as she throws herself away from the other girl. Elena shouts in alarm, calling her name and trying to scramble after her. Stefan is there and she sees the understanding in his eyes. It makes her feel ashamed, but no less panicked because Elena is still trying to reach her.

"Don't!" Stefan's trying to hold Elena back, but she's not listening. She's worried about Caroline, terrified for Caroline, and doesn't understand what's wrong now. Caroline is frantically trying to get far enough away so she can calm herself down and the woods are suddenly small and suffocating.

"You smell like food!" she finally screams, her voice cutting through the air like shards of glass. Elena stops fighting, stops demanding, and just stops right there. Her breath is caught in her throat and suddenly Elena gets it. She understands the finality of it. Her face is easy to read and in that moment, Elena goes from worrying about Caroline to mourning her.

Stefan stands uncertainly between the two girls. She sees that he wants to comfort Elena, but isn't sure how she will take it. He turns to her and Caroline sees pity there, along with sympathy. He knows all about this; he's gone through it himself. It's only a second later that he makes up his mind, kneeling in front of Caroline and looking deep into her eyes.

"My teeth hurt," she mutters pitifully. He nods, bares his teeth and points to the canines. She nods in agreement.

"They're trying to grow," he explains. "It's easier to get a good grasp."

This brings to mind images of Caroline latched onto Elena's throat and Caroline's disgusted with herself. Stefan suggests that they move, in case any of the other searchers heard them. It's such a lame excuse, because he's explained all the heightened senses and whatever to her before. Stefan will hear anyone approaching way before they could see her. It's one of the reasons why he agreed to take her out.

Elena's crying again, but it's quiet and she's trying to hide it from Caroline. Caroline makes a deliberate choice to walk a good distance away from Stefan and Elena, whilst still following. Stefan leads them to the remains of a house. He tells them it used to be his house and then he starts in on this long story of the days of yore. He talks about his father, about Damon going to war, about some orphan girl named Katherine, and (for no apparent reason) how Damon taught him to play football. Caroline gets that Stefan's trying to show them what his life was like, how he and Damon used to get along, but she doesn't care. She can't help but feel like it's his way of saying 'See? He wasn't so bad, once upon a time. That's why I put up with him now, even though he's all homicidal and totally ruined Caroline's life'.

She's being unfair, but she can't help it. Her gums itch and her heart _hurts_ because she just wants to go home and be safe. But all this talk is just reminding her of how quickly the day is passing and she's going to be dead soon. And it's a forever thing, no matter what road she takes.

She can't even get comfort from the one friend who knows because she's afraid that she'll just end up attacking Elena. The tension is still there and she knows that Elena is looking at her with that forlorn look. It makes her want to cry and scream and do something _violent_ because it's all so unfair.

Stefan's still talking as he starts digging. She's confused by the change of pace and catches up with his story. Katherine the orphan was actually Katherine the vampire and (woe) she turns the brothers against one another. She's gone now, because the Founding Families caught onto the vampire game and killed her. Her and twenty-six other vampires that were apparently whooping it up in Mystic Falls. This is just unbelievable. All those vampires, looking for a place to party (or whatever vampires do), and they pick Mystic Falls? She would have picked New York, or someplace classier.

Elena's having a hard time absorbing all this. Her eyes are all glassy and wide, and she shakes her head a lot. Caroline knows these to be Classic-Elena-I-Don't-Get-It signs. Of course, Elena's not that airheaded. She gets it; she just doesn't want to accept it. But with Caroline, walking dead girl extraordinaire, right before her, Elena can't deny it.

It's a lot to take in, especially the part where Stefan starts talking about the Founders' Council. They still have that council today; Caroline's mom is on it. Stefan's going on like the present Council knows everything about vampires, just like the past Council. Apparently they keep track of vampire attacks in town and deal with the issue. If that's the case, Caroline figures the current Council has just earned itself a gigantic FAIL. Damon's been running around this town for months, and hell, he's even been to the Founders' Ball. Shouldn't vampire experts know a vampire when they see one?

Stefan says it's harder than it looks. She understands a bit, because she didn't get it until early this morning (and only after Damon had already killed her), but still. She's feeling surly and blaming everyone around for being ignorant fools makes her feel . . . well, not better, but she wants to do it anyway.

The sun is coming down when they start heading back. Elena's still staring at her and trying hard to make it seem like she wasn't staring. Caroline's still a good distance away, because this is getting scarier instead of better and what if she attacks Elena? Stefan walks between the two of them, Damon's ring in his pocket, and not one of his hundred plus years helping him find something to say.

Elena's followed Stefan here in his car and she wants to follow them back to the Salvatore house. Stefan doesn't think that's a good idea, but Elena doesn't care. She doesn't care if she can't be too close to Caroline without provoking the other girl's hunger. If this is Caroline Forbes's last day on earth, Elena Gilbert will be with her.

Caroline knows Elena's trying to be a good friend. And dying with only the Salvatores for company doesn't sit well with her. But the argument is wearing on her last nerve and doesn't anyone care what she thinks?

She's leaning against a tree with her eyes closed as she waits for them to finish. She kind of drifts off for a while and comes back to herself when she feels someone shaking her gently. Caroline snaps back to reality, seeing Stefan leaning into her, worry etched on his face.

"Just tired," she says quickly. The implication of her words hit her a few seconds after, and watching Stefan's face fall just confirms it. Caroline thinks about it and notices that, yes, she is feeling tired. She hasn't felt tired at all today, not really. It's just been about the emotional drain this day, but now it was different. Her limbs are feeling heavy and her eyes want to close. It's like being sleepy and her body's more than ready to just rest already.

But this isn't a cry for naptime. This is something much more permanent. She feels the panic come back as she stares at Stefan's face and it's just _too soon_.

"No!" the word forces itself out of her throat and she pushes Stefan away from her. She's running in the second, Elena's screams and Stefan's shouts behind her. She doesn't know where she's going, just that she needs to go. She's crashing through the woods, batting branches out her way, feet constantly tripping over themselves, all in a desperate attempt to get away.

But this isn't a problem she can outrun. The energy she received at the shock of her impending demise eventually peters out. Soon she's barely able to stumble around upright, the cuts and scrapes all over her body starting to hurt painfully, and then she falls.

Tears come; huge, frightened sobs escape her as she lays there on the ground. She cries for what seems like hours, cries for everything that she's losing and everything she's being denied. She cries because she's alone, tired, and she wants her parents here to hold her. She cries because she wants someone to make it right, but it can't be made right. She cries because she's dying and it's _wrong_.

Stefan finds her; he's probably been just behind her this entire time. His hand appears on her shoulder and, instead of being comforted, his presence makes her cry harder. She makes no move to right herself, feels that she could just lay there and cry until her body shuts all the way down. He turns her over after a bit, arms sliding under her body and pulling her into a sitting position. He settles her back against a tree, but keeps his arms around her. She doesn't want to look at him, keeps her eyes closed and the tears flowing even as he rocks her gently.

"I'm sorry," he says sometime later. This makes her open her eyes so she can glare at him. She doesn't want pity; she wants someone to _fix it_, but he's not that someone.

"It's not enough," she shrieks suddenly. Her hands ball up into fists and then she's hitting him over and over again. It doesn't faze him, so he lets it continue. His quiet expectance drives her out of her mind with rage and she grabs him by the shirt and shakes him. "It's not enough! Sixteen years is not _enough_! It can't be over! How is it over? Sixteen is nothing! I want more; I deserve more. How could he-just took it away-how could he-how . . . _How could you let him_?"

His head snaps to the side and then he turns back to her. Her assault hasn't made a dent-it's infuriating. "Caroline, you need to calm down. There's someone near-"

She doesn't care! She's full of anger and she's indignant and she deserves more! She keeps screaming, keeps hitting-even when he moves in front of her and grabs her fists, she keeps struggling. He's torn between getting them safely away from intruders but also letting her get it all out of her system. He tries to pull her up gently, to move her away, but she drags her feet, kicking and clawing to be free.

Finally he snaps and he grabs her roughly by the shoulders and shakes. "Caroline!" he roars. "Do you want this? Do you?"

Night has fallen, but even in the dark she can see what he means. His eyes have bled black and red, there are hideous black veins all over his face, and his mouth . . . his lips are curled back and his teeth are monstrous. He's a monster, a vampire, and it's terrifying to look at.

She stares at him, eyes full of tears and defeat. She's crying again, this time less hysterically than before. She shakes her head, because she doesn't want it, it's too frightening to want, and that means she has to die.

"I am sorry," he says to her brokenly. "But we have to move."

She agrees, because there's nothing else for her to do. He releases her shoulders and grasps her hand. He's in the process of pulling her to feet when there's an explosive boom from behind them. Stefan jerks and something wet hits her face even as she begins to scream again. Soon Stefan's crumpled up on the ground and she's desperately shaking him. The wet substance on her face drips down and she catches a bit of it on her tongue. It's blood-Stefan's blood, and sure enough, her hands are also covered in it.

"Caroline?"

The voice is familiar, not just from years of watching him on the television, but also because she's known him her whole life. Logan Fell used to babysit her; being the youngest member of the current generation of Founding Families, he used to babysit a lot of them. But she's never seen him like this, shocked and confused, holding something gold object in one hand and a smoking gun in the other.

"Jesus, Caroline! Get away from him! Where have you been?" the questions start and they don't stop. Logan's beside her and trying to pull her away from Stefan. But she can't leave Stefan, not when he's obviously hurt and making these scary gurgling noises. And she doesn't understand why Logan has a gun, can only scream at him when he brings it up and points it at Stefan again.

Something blurs through the woods and hits Logan, sending him flying back. Logan's still got a grip on Caroline when this happens, so she goes along for the ride. They travel back a few feet, Caroline hitting the ground with Logan on top of her. She pushes him off her frantically, flipping them so that now she's on top. Logan's staring at her with wide blue eyes and it takes her a second to realize he's not blinking. He's dead, just that like, and Caroline's mind goes blank.

She looks back to Stefan and sees Damon standing over him. She should be worried about that; she should be trying to help Stefan. She should be doing something to stop Damon because he's a killer and he's just killed Logan Fell, her old babysitter, and now he's doing something to Stefan.

But Logan's been cut open and there's blood everywhere. It's not like when Stefan was shot. That blood hadn't affected her at all, other than scaring her with its sudden appearance. Logan's blood is different. It smells like blood usually does, but she finds it alluring now. It makes her stomach growl and her gums itch once more. It's like with Elena, only a hundred times stronger. Her brain stutters and falters and the blood clouds her consciousness. She lowers her head to the wound on Logan's chest, knowing she should be disgusted but not caring because it _smells so good_. It's like she hasn't eaten in years, like she's suddenly starving and parched at the same time, and the blood just calls to her.

Her tongue flicks out and laps at the blood. The metallic taste hits her tongue and her taste-buds explode. It's the most delicious thing she's ever had and she _needs_ more. Whatever restraint she's had, she loses it in a second. Eagerly, she pushes her mouth to the wound and starts sucking. The blood keeps coming, filling her mouth and sliding down her throat in a hot flood. She feels her eyes crossing, it's just so _good_, and she wants more. She needs more!

She feels hands grasping her by the shoulder, trying to pull her back. She fights them, struggles to get closer to the precious blood just pumping out of Logan's body. But her assailant is stronger than she is and with one hard tug, she's pulled away. She fights at first, kicking and scratching, but then she's thrown back. She hits a tree and the pain of impact clears her senses and suddenly her mind's working again.

Stefan's standing in front of her, breathing hard and green eyes burning with intensity. His eyes drop to her lips and then they darken just a bit. Caroline swallows nervously, not liking the greedy look that flitters across Stefan's face for one second, and she wipes her hand across her mouth. It comes back feeling wet and sticky. She looks down at it, sees that it's red with blood, and then it hits her that she was just drinking Logan Fell's blood.

Her mouth opens to scream, but no sounds come out. Her stomach churns and she wants to throw up, to get it out of her. But her body isn't listening, won't comply with her horror and disgust. The blood hits in her belly, warming her and chasing away the cold touch of death. Caroline takes in a couple deep breaths, eyes watering under the disappointed look on Stefan's face.

"Oops."

This comes from behind Stefan. Stefan turns around and she sees Damon standing over Logan's body, fiddling with the ring Stefan had dug up that afternoon. He slips it onto his finger and then hops over Logan's body, already dismissing the corpse as insignificant. His eyes flash her way and he starts beaming at her like he's proud or something. He claps a seething Stefan on the back and winks at her.

"Looks like I've got my own personal immortal cheerleader. Don't pout Stefan; I promise I'll share."

Stefan growls and Caroline turns her head away and _cries_.

~O~O~O~


	5. World On Fire

**Title: Dear Narcissus Boy**

**Author: Eena_Angel2001**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: TVD belongs to Smith.**

**Spoilers: General S1 Spoilers, starting specifically with 'You're Undead to Me'.**

**Summary: She will fight, claw, scratch, and (now) bite to be free of him . . .**

**Warnings: Violence, Sexual situations (but nothing explicit)**

**Notes: Response to the "What if Damon turned Caroline instead of Vicki?" question floating around LJ.**

**Notes2: Title from Alanis Morisette's "Narcissus" from her album **_**Under Rug Swept**_**.**

**~O~**

**~O~O~**

**~O~O~O~**

**Chapter Five: World On Fire**

** He's been watching her closely ever since it happened and he's getting a kick out it. This isn't his first time, and he's broken down the newborn experience into five stages: Nausea, Wonder, Fear, Anger, and Acceptance (or Partying, depending on the vampire). Caroline's trotting through all five stages at the usual rate, but he's a little concerned about Stage Four-Anger. Caroline's stubborn by nature and he can't compel that annoying quality away anymore. The first three stages don't last long; they can go anywhere from an hour to a day, but that's the maximum. Stage Four is tricky and usually the least fun of all five stages. He's seen some newborns spend the first decade of their unlives in Stage Four-and it can be such a **_**buzzkill**_**. **

** Stage One: Nausea, commences right after Caroline finishes her latest bout of snivelling. Honestly, what is it with girls and crying? They look completely unattractive while doing it and any guy with half a brain will take off running at the first sign of tears. He would be the same way, if he couldn't just magic away the tears. Stefan says manipulating people's emotions is immoral and a sign of psychosis. Damon agrees-that's why he does it.**

** But after Caroline finally stops crying, there's a few seconds where she contemplates what she's done. Her eyes go wide, she looks at Stefan in desperation (that **_**oh please let this be a bad dream**_** kind of desperation), and then she tries to vomit. Only her body won't let her. It's an amusing five to ten minutes while Caroline dry heaves and Stefan holds her up. Of course, Caroline is stubborn and repeatedly tries to get the blood to leave her stomach.**

** "Nothing doing, sweetheart," Damon says finally, rolling his eyes at the angry look she gives him. "Your body's too smart to let that stuff out. Just give it a second, relax, and you'll find you feel **_**loads**_** better."**

"Stop it," Stefan sounds eerily calm and that just about makes Damon's night. Calm Stefan in the face of so much shit equals an Insanely Unhappy Stefan. His brother gives him a heated glare and Damon just smirks. Stefan turns back to the quivering blonde mess that hasn't taken her eyes off Logan Fell's body. There's one part horror, one part hunger, and the rest is just revulsion. Newbies are so cute.

"Caroline, we have to move," Stefan explains gently, a hand grazing the girl's elbow. Damon rolls his eyes at his brother's handling of Caroline. The girl's in shock, he understands, but she's a _vampire_ now. Stefan can grab her arm and throw her a few feet into a large tree, but it's not going to faze her. She's not fragile anymore.

"There are probably others," Stefan continues, moving his hand from her elbow to her back, rubbing soothing circles against her spine. Stefan's free hand comes up and brushes hair out of Caroline's eyes before dropping to her chin and turning her head so they can lock gazes. Damon's a little annoyed by this; Stefan's being awfully over familiar with Damon's property.

"You know, I'm not sure Elena would appreciate you rubbing your grubby hands all over one of her best friends," Damon comments drily. "And besides, I said I would share. Not that you would get the first taste."

Stefan speeds over and pushes him backwards a few feet before Caroline can squawk her indignation. Damon digs in his feet and slowly skids to a stop. He raises his head and sees Stefan's face, black veins starting to erupt underneath his skin as the red slowly filled in the eyes.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Damon crows before speeding back at Stefan and pushing him much farther back. Caroline shouts in alarm and tries to run over to where his brother is laying dazed on the forest floor. He intercepts her before she gets there and she shrieks. Again, he rolls his eyes and grabs her by the wrist.

"There _are_ others in the woods tonight, so keep it down," he chastises her. "Now, let's all play nice and go home. There we can play extra nice."

She jerks her hand out of his grasp and then stills. He watches as realization washes over her face and her head tilts slightly to the left. She can hear them, almost as well as he can. There are three, maybe four, men silently running their way. Caroline's mesmerized by the sounds of their heavy breathing, the soft thumping of their feet against the ground, and the alluring rhythm of their heartbeats. She barely notices when Stefan gets to his feet and tries to tug her along. Her eyes are wide and distant and she stumbles along when Stefan drags her towards the boarding house.

Damon laughs at her. Stage Two never fails to make him laugh.

He's faster than Stefan (one of the many things he is infinitely better at than his little brother), so he's waiting for them in the front hall when they make it back. Stefan isn't the slightest bit surprised to see him there, but his forehead does wrinkle something fierce at the sight of Damon. Caroline's far too busy looking at everything to notice the tension between the brothers. She glides into the front hall, running her fingers over every surface and looking intently at every object.

Stefan tries to pull her to the parlour room and she starts, looking up and catching his eye. A small smile starts to lift the corners of her mouth and Caroline immediately invades Stefan's personal space. His little brother holds still, stiffer than a statue while Caroline runs her hands all over him and stares deeply in his eyes. One hand goes up and starts tracing the rise of Stefan's cheekbones and she gives a delighted little laugh.

Stage Two is called Wonder for a reason.

Damon smirks at his brother's discomfort. He figures he's been ignored enough and if Caroline thinks Stefan's amazing, wait until she gets a load of Damon with her new eyes. He slips behind the blonde, one finger trailing across her back before his hand lifts her hair and pushes it to one side. She gasps and he chuckles, bringing his face close down to the bared side of her neck.

"Damon," Stefan's voice is full of warning, but Damon ignores him. He leans down and places a few feather-light kisses along Caroline's neck. Her entire body shudders and she spins around quickly. He smirks down at her when her eyes meet his. Soon, her hands are up and gliding over him as she had done with Stefan before. Her right hand dips low, skimming over his silk dress shirt and soon her fingers are lightly tapping against his abs. He laughs softly again, his own hand going down and slipping under her cotton shirt.

Stefan grabs his hand before it wanders too far. "You're _not_ doing this," his brother growls, and his voice is no longer low or calm. There's fury in Stefan's tone and it matches the fire in his eyes well.

"Like you can stop me," Damon returns, turning his hand and pushing Stefan hard in the chest. His brother flies backwards, smashing up against the wall, taking out a table and a lamp while he's at it. Caroline starts and turns to see what happens. Apparently the sight of his brother crumpled on the floor and bleeding slightly from a gash on his voluminous forehead is enough to bring Stage Two to an end. Caroline eeps and tries to run over and help. She doesn't make it far because Damon's still got his arms around her and she squeals in anger when he doesn't let go.

Quick as lightning, she spins on her heel and puts her two hands against his chest. He doesn't try to stop her, wants to see what she's got. The strength explodes from inside her and Damon is airborne. When he smashes through the railing and hits the wall hard enough to put cracks in the ceiling, it's almost as exhilarating as it is painful. He drops to the floor, wincing when he lands awkwardly on two different steps. He takes a look around and sees she's almost sent him up to the second floor.

He looks back down to the landing and she's frozen, staring at her hands like she's never seen them before. "That's my girl," he gives his approval as he picks himself up off the stairs. Her head jerks up at the sound of his voice and very slowly, his words filter into her brain. He sees when she realizes what he's said, realizes all the implications and double meanings there. Her eyes widen again, and this time there's fear reflected in those pretty blue eyes.

"Come on, Caroline," he shakes his head at her. "You're going through the stages too quickly. Sex in Stage Two is un-fucking-believable."

Her eyes are filling with water and she's sniffling again. Damon groans and hangs his head. So much for Wonder-sex.

"Leave her alone," Stefan orders as he picks himself up off the floor and walking over to Caroline. Slowly, Stefan covers her hands with his own and gives her a one-armed embrace. "I think you should rest," he says, ignoring Damon's snort completely. "We'll talk tomorrow."

"I don't-" Caroline stops and shakes her head. Her eyes go back up to where Damon stood waiting. He winks at her and she starts like a frightened horse. Stefan has to switch to a full on hug to settle her down.

"Haven't I talked to you about touching my things?" Damon asks, no real conviction in his voice. He says it more for the way that Caroline shivers than from any real annoyance. He's been through the Fear stage and it's boring as hell. He'll take over when she's firmly in Stage Four. It's not always a fun stage, but it's when things really heat up. And it's never boring.

"Well, I'm going to bed," Damon announces loudly. "Coming, Sweetie?"

Stefan launches the remains of a side table at his head and Damon just barely dodges in time. He straightens and bugs his eyes at his younger brother. "Fine! You can have her for the first night. I just hope Elena doesn't get jealous or anything."

He's up in his room before Stefan can pitch his next hissy fit. He flops down on his bed, hands folded behind his head, and almost _sinfully_ proud of what he's done. Seriously, this might be the best diversion he's ever created. Even now, Stefan's got his hands full of weeping blonde that won't let him go. He listens to their conversations, listens to her pleading with him. Apparently she's spending the night in Stefan's bed while he keeps watch from a nearby chair. It's all so noble and chivalrous-and bound to cost Stefan much needed rest.

Honestly, his own genius sometimes astounds him.

He starts texting Elena around one in the morning. He starts with the usual ('How's the search going? How are you holding up? Want me to come over') and then gets down into the nitty-gritty ('Seriously, they've been locked up in there for hours-and the moaning hasn't once stopped). At three-after he's sent something like ten or a hundred messages-Elena texts him back, telling him to do something to himself that isn't quite anatomically possible (and if it is, it should be illegal), and then she presumably turned off her phone.

Morning came with the usual fanfare-birds singing, the sun brightening, and Caroline and Stefan having a loud argument on whether Stefan should go to school.

"She will know that you're not there!" Caroline screams in frustration. "She will know, find it weird, and come here to check it out. You don't know my mother like I do. She's never going to let this go. She'll come over here and then she'll find me-She _can't_ find me!"

"I can't leave you alone with him-Caroline, you don't understand how unstable he is-"

"I'll take his instability over my own mother trying to kill me, _any damn day_!"

At this point, Caroline dissolves into hysterical tears and Stefan fumbles to placate her. In the end, he agrees to go to school, but not before he gives her a mug of micro-waved squirrel. Stefan even goes so far as to step into Damon's room, a warning ready on his lips.

"I've already killed her," Damon says before Stefan can speak. "Really, what's the worse I can do now?"

Stefan glares. "You always find something."

He has no response to that, though he does feel his smile widening even further. "You should hurry," he warns his brother. "Otherwise, you'll be late and that might grab the sheriff's attention. You know Caroline doesn't want that-and you shouldn't be upsetting her at a time like this. Her emotions are running pretty high right now, so why torture the poor girl?"

Stefan's forehead gets even more furrowed and Damon can't help but laugh. It takes Stefan a long time, but he does finally depart for school. Caroline has locked herself away in Stefan's room and though it's tempting to go over and bash in the door, he thinks it would be better if she came to him.

It takes him only a short while to download 'Sweet Caroline' from the Web, and then he's downstairs, blaring the song out from a very impressive set of speakers. He's had a hundred or so years to get used to the hypersensitive vampire hearing, but Caroline's had less than a day. The high volume must be murder on her eardrums and it's only sheer stubbornness that keeps her from coming down and smashing the sound system to pieces. He pours himself a glass of blood and a glass of scotch, content to eat and drink until she gives it up.

When she does finally show her face, he's half-way to drunk and burning for a good distraction. He waits patiently with his back turned to her, not even flinching when she smashes the speakers into bits. It's an impressive display and he can hear her practically snarling by the end of it.

"How'd you sleep, sweetie?" he asks without turning around. He can feel her indignation at the nickname he has gives her, and it makes him want to jab at the wound even harder.

"I remember," she finally says after a lengthy silence. He grins briefly before schooling his face into an innocent look. Innocent always looks a bit bizarre on him, but it's fitting for the situation as it's likely to drive Caroline bat-shit-crazy.

He turns around to face her, keeping that innocent expression. She's wearing some frumpy looking sweat pants and an oversized hooded jacket that must belong to Stefan. She's dishevelled and pale (not that he's surprised by _that_), but it's her eyes that make him want to crow. Her blue eyes have bled into the vampiric red and black, and the telltale black veins are slowly expanding across her face.

Hello Stage Four.

"So, what is it that you remember?" he asks amicably, bringing another glass of scotch up to his lips.

She growls. She actually _growls_. It's cute.

"I remember everything!" she spits at him. "I remember you using me, manipulating me, erasing my memory-_feeding_ on me," she pauses and draws in a breath in an unsuccessful attempt to calm herself.

"Is that so?" Damon tries out his best condescending voice. Her eyes snap upwards and her hands clench into fists at her sides. He watches as she winces, one hand straightening and coming up to press against her mouth. "They only bother you for the first few times," he tells her sympathetically. "After that, you get used to them. Half the time you won't even notice they've come out."

"The only reason they're bothering me now is because of you!" Her anger explodes red and hot. She picks up a nearby lamp and throws it furiously against the wall, shattering the lamp and denting the wall.

He fakes an outraged gasp. "My _mother_ gave me that lamp!"

She screams at the taunt in his voice and speeds over, hands outstretched and blood on her mind. He bats her away like she's nothing, and she joins the lamp on the floor.

He turns back to his drink, smirking as he listens to her recover. He picks up the glass of blood and pivots quickly to meet her face-to-face. The sight of the blood has the desired effect; she halts mere inches away, violence forgotten in a wave of gut-wrenching hunger. She wears an almost awed look on her face as she gazes intently at the glass.

He smirks and tilts the glass towards her. "Want some?"

A ragged gasp escapes her as she reaches for the blood with trembling hands. She hesitates, raising fearful eyes to meet his, as if afraid he'll take it away at the last second. He smiles indulgently and firmly pushes it into her hands. She wastes no more time, bringing the glass to her mouth and gulping down the contents. He watches as she drains the glass, tongue lapping at the insides until she clears it of all traces of blood.

It really turns him on.

"That's a good vampire," he murmurs as she lowers the glass, a small sigh falling from her lips. He reaches out, collecting some of the spilled blood around her mouth on his index finger. He brings it to his lips, licking off the blood even as she wipes her mouth with her hands and tongue-anything to get another taste of blood.

"There's more," he assures her, taking the empty glass from her and putting it down by the scotch. He moves to stand behind her, hands coming up to caress her face and neck. "There's lots more," he whispers into her ear, chuckling softly when she shivers. He drops a kiss onto the side of her neck, right where her pulse point used to be.

She spins around, face like thunder, and then she pounces on him. He laughs because she's like a rabid animal-biting, snarling, and scratching without a real goal in mind. He wraps his arms around her, trapping her arms against her body. She squeals and starts thrashing around. It's so adorable-he can't help the urge to smother her neck with kisses. His affectionate gestures drive her insane, and sometime in between her wild attempts to free herself and cursing him to the bowels of Hell, he bites down on his lower lip and just waits.

Her nostrils flare and her eyes zero in on the few droplets dribbling onto his chin. Vampire blood is not as satisfying as human, but he's been practically engorging himself since he woke up and there's enough human there to pique an enraged newborn's hunger. He drops his hold and watches.

She grabs his face in between her hands and pulls herself up his body so that she's eyelevel with him. He catches her hips, so gravity doesn't drag her back down. She falls on his lips in a frenzy, occasionally biting and sucking out blood. His hands move to her legs and he lifts them up to wrap around his waist. He walks them back to the couch, pushing her back and throwing her onto it with quite a bit of force.

She flops onto her back and springs up into a sitting position almost immediately. He grins at her, the soreness in his lips fading even as he speeds over to climb on top of her. Her fangs are still out and she's still snarling as she grabs at his face. He pushes her so that her back is to the couch and holds her there with a hand on her throat. His other hand goes up to smooth back her hair, and then continues down her face, his fingers tracing the curves of her cheeks tenderly.

"You really are going to be something," he murmurs, a rush of pride infusing him when she turns her head and bites down on one of his fingers. He watches as she suckles at the blood greedily and imagines all the fun they could have. Katherine might even like her, because Caroline is pretty, blonde, and delicate-the perfect deception for their kind.

She releases his finger, unhappy with the slow blood flow. Within seconds, she's latched onto his wrist and really, this is some kind of hot.

"That's my girl."

She stops, just like the last time he said it, as if the words are a bucket of water. She pulls her teeth out of his wrist and slowly turns her head up to stare at him with wide, horrified eyes. He smiles at her, a parody of gentleness, before moving his hand down to the waistband of her sweats.

_His_ girl.

~O~


End file.
